St. Augustine airport officials look to keep tower open

FAA plans to close 149 towers because of budget cuts

Airport officials in St. Augustine are trying to keep their air traffic control tower open, even though it's on a list of towers the Federal Aviation Administration plans to close because of budget cuts.

Last week, the FAA said 149 towers would close in a four-week phased shutdown starting April 7.

On Monday night, the Northeast Florida Regional Airport Authority authorized spending up to $51,000 of its own money to keep the tower open for another month.

The authority will meet again on April 15, and between now and then, it will look at its options, such as paying to keep the tower open in the long term, or potential legal action to block the FAA from closing the tower.

Airport officials say there's still the possibility that federal funding for the towers will be restored.

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